About us

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, is an auxiliary organization of the Japan Foundation (JF), which has designated support for Japanese language education overseas as one of its key sectors.The Institute was established on July 1, 1989 in Saitama City (then Urawa City) in Saitama Prefecture to respond to the diversifying needs of students learning Japanese overseas and the calls for more assistance from overseas countries.

The Institute is home to experts in Japanese language education, and also boasts excellent training facilities. Japanese language teachers working at Japanese language educational institutions overseas are invited for training, and the Institute also develops education materials for Japanese language education.

Japanese language teachers working at educational institutions overseas are given training in Japanese language teaching methods and other areas. In addition, the Institute collaborates with local governments throughout Japan to give these teachers the opportunity to learn about Japanese society and culture through homestays, school visits and local training.
Every year about 450 people participate from over 50 countries, and since it was established in 1989, the Institute has provided training to a total of over 10,000 people. The Japanese language teachers who have participated are now active at Japanese language institutions throughout the world.

As the Institute’s English name is the “Japanese- Language Institute, Urawa,” it is known simply as “Urawa” among Japanese language teachers overseas.

As part of its work developing educational materials, the Institute issues substantial amounts of Japanese language educational materials, such as “Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture,” based on the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education, and also operates the “Minna no Kyozai” website, which helps Japanese language teachers around the world prepare educational materials. The website “Erin’s Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese,” a free educational website that offers a fun introduction to the Japanese language, is also very popular.

The Institute is also home to the world’s only library specializing in Japanese language education, which is used by people involved in Japanese language education in Japan and overseas.

横スクロールできます

Name

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa

Executive Director

Yuichi Sunakawa

Location

5-6-36 Kita-Urawa, Urawa-ku Saitama-shi
Saitama 330-0074 Japan
Access
Eight-minute walk from the west exit of Kita-Urawa Station on the JR Keihin- Tohoku line

Established

July 1989

Main operations

Training program

Supporting and training Japanese language teachers working overseas

Development of educational materials

Development and distribution of educational materials and teaching methodology, operation of library